Fading Illumination
by SolarRose29
Summary: Dangling folded hands between his knees, Steve leaned forward, keeping an eye on Clint, and wondering when the archer would stop trying to prove himself to those who already believed in him.


Just another little snippet whipped up to prove I'm still alive.

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After taking the folded blanket from the shelf above the little mattress in the back of the jet, Steve spread it out and laid it over Natasha's sleeping form, watching as her body stiffened at the contact. He waited patiently for the moment when her subconscious recognized his presence and her muscles relaxed again. As soon as her posture was loose once again, he carefully tucked the edges of the cloth around her legs and the curve of her shoulder to keep out the chill that was too much like wind through the streets of Moscow. When he was finished, he smoothed the hair from her forehead. He was glad she had her curls back. He liked curls. Peggy had curls.

Stepping across the smooth flooring, he checked on Tony, who was slumbering soundly on the cot attached to the opposite wall. The billionaire's arms fidgeted occasionally, his torso shifting over the padded surface of the bed. A small smile lifted the corners of Steve's mouth. Tony was never still, even in sleep. Steve had no doubt Tony was dreaming of tinkering with some machine or another. It was only when the dark eyebrows drew together like attracted magnets and the white teeth ground together beneath pressed lips that Steve knew the dreams were starting to sour. He carefully tugged the blanket away from Tony's chest to release the suffocating heat of an Afghani sun. The shirt beneath was dark in the center where blue light had gleamed, and it was a sight Steve was still getting used to.

A quiet snore drew Steve's attention and he moved toward the noise. There, slouching limply in one of the many padded chairs, was Bruce. Steve shook his head fondly, coming closer. Glasses perched precariously on the edge of the scientist's nose, they were in danger of meeting a terrible end on the unforgiving floor of the jet, given the angle at which their owner's head was tilted. With nimble fingers, Steve removed the glasses, folded them and slipped them into the breast pocket of the button-up shirt Bruce was wearing. An open book lay across Bruce's knees and Steve dog-eared the page before closing the book and tucking it between the doctor's thigh and the chair cushion.

He turned around to see Thor stretched across an entire row of seats. The demigod's mouth hung open slightly, breath moving easily through parted lips. Steve crouched beside the large man and peered closely at the bandage circling the Asgardian's bicep. The shallow cut from a bullet skimming the surface of the skin was the only casualty of their raid on the Hydra base in Algeria. There were times Thor's arrogance, though tamed with maturity and teamwork, still got the prince in trouble. Steve was grateful there wasn't a smashed bullet shell to dig out of muscle tissue. The memory of several such operations could be called to his mind at anytime. But he didn't have to add another one his collection of recollections. Not this time, at least.

Once he was satisfied that his friends were resting peacefully and comfortably, Steve turned his attention to the last member of his team. He maneuvered through the dimly lit interior of the plane into the cockpit. Blending into the darkness which filled the air outside the windshield, Clint's body was nothing more than shadowed limbs and veiled facial features, illuminated only by the faint glow of the instrument panel. Steve slipped into the co-pilot's chair soundlessly. He glanced at Clint's face, noting the deep smudges of purple beneath his eyes that spoke of exhaustion. The archer was losing his battle with his weariness and his attempt to cling to consciousness was visible in the way his fingers clutched the aircraft's steering mechanism.

"Why don't you go catch some shut-eye?" Steve suggested softly.

Clint jerked at the abrupt break in the reigning silence. He covered his lapse with a shrug. "Nah, I'm good."

"It's an eight and a half hour flight back to the Tower," Steve pointed out.

"So?" Clint retorted.

"So that's an awfully long time to go without sleep," Steve informed him calmly.

Another rising and falling of shoulders in the gloom marked a second shrug from the marksman.

"Come on, Barton," Steve urged. "You know you want to."

"I'm okay," Clint stubbornly insisted. "I flew this jet to Africa. I think I can manage to do the same thing on the way back."

"You haven't slept in over twenty-one hours," Steve reminded him.

"Have any of us?" Clint snorted.

Steve gestured to the rear of the aircraft. "The others are sleeping right now. You should join them."

Pursing his lips, Clint tightened his hold on the yoke. "I don't need to."

"Go on. I've got this," Steve reassured him, nodding at the controls.

Clint barked a dry laugh. "No offense, but the last time you flew a plane, you crashed."

A muscle in Steve's temple twitched as he clenched his jaw and smiled tightly. "Well, we're not flying over the Arctic so I think you're safe."

"If it's all the same to you," Clint's head rolled on his neck until he was gazing at the soldier, the corners of his mouth upturned crookedly, "I'd rather not risk it."

In spite of the verbal knife slipping between his ribs, Steve never let his smile falter. "If you change your mind, just let me know."

Pulling himself out of his chair, he exited the cockpit and selected a seat next to Bruce, where he had a clear view of Clint. He watched in concern as the marksman seemed to sag at his post. Folding his hands and dangling them between his knees, Steve leaned forward, keeping an eye on Clint and wondering when the archer would stop trying to prove himself to those who already believed in him.

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A/N for ChildofGod: Thank you so much for all those reviews! They made my day :D Any time is a good time to give me requests. I have no idea how soon I'll be able to finish them for you but I am always accepting them. And as far as the next chapter of Broken Down and Waiting...well...I did have a good amount written but then my laptop crashed and I lost it. So now I have to start from scratch and it's slow going :/ Everyone keeps asking for that next part and I feel terrible that I don't have anything to post. But I will eventually so don't lose hope!


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